When Iliona leaves with her family from Greece to Rome she starts a diary. Little did she know that before she even gets there their ship will be taken by pirates and she will become a slave and this then becomes a vehicle for showing life in Rome. Of course, Iliona has the good fortune ( if one can say that about being a slave) to be bought by a Roman senator. Because she is educated her life as a slave is less bitter than it might otherwise have been. Platt manages to weave a good enough story into his travelogue of ancient Rome, giving Iliona and her brother a happier ending than most slaves could expect. Parkins art carries the tour forward with details that capture time and place. 8 & up

An interesting true story of two brothers, Richard and Cherry Kearton who became innovative bird photographers in the early days of photography. Their ways of hiding and capturing images were inventive and the few true photos at the end of the book add much to this introduction to photography and the idea of following one’s interests. 8 & up.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years.
Award Year: 2009.
Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Liberty((by Lynn Curlee), Atheneum $18 Score:) It is hard to imagine a time when Lady Liberty was not standing in New York's harbor. As in his award winning book, Rushmore, Curlee documents the long years of effort it took to raise the funds and build the colossal statue-a gem of a book about a national treasure. 8 & up.

Discoveries Series (various authors, DK $14.95 Score:) For young people who have any interest in history, these books should help make the past come alive. The volumes give both the contexts of their period and graphic details. They are lively explorations of both everyday life and the overall picture. Their newest are Alexander the Great and Everest. 9 & up.

Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers(by Karen Winnick, Boyds Mills $7.99 Score:) Based on a true story, a small girl writes a letter to Abe Lincoln suggesting that he grow whiskers. He stops on his way to Washington after his election to thank her for her letter and to show off his whiskers. May inspire some young letter writers. 5–9

You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer!(by Shana Corey/illus. by Chesley McLaren, Scholastic $16.95 Score:) Amelia Bloomer (a friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton) was a rebel who believed that most rules for being a proper woman were foolish. She had the courage to change the kinds of clothes she wore and left her name and mark on the women's rights movement. 5–9.

Inside the Hindenburg (by Mireille Majoor/illus. by Ken Marschall, Little Brown $18.95 Score:) An oversized book to match the scope of the subject—the largest object ever to fly. Breathtaking cutaways give readers a sense of what this gone-but-not-forgotten way of travel must have been like. Also very well done on the same subject, The Hindenburg (by Patrick O'Brien, Henry Holt ). 8 and up.

The War Within(by Carol Matas, Simon & Schuster $16 Score:) During the Civil War General U.S. Grant signed an order that forced southern Jews in areas he occupied to leave their homes and possessions. Told through the eyes of a13 year old girl who never questioned slavery or her acceptance of racial injustice, this is a fascinating and little known story.

Journal of Wong Ming-Chung, A Chinese Miner (by Lawrence Yep , Scholastic $10.95 Score:) Yep paints a memorable picture of what it was like to be a Chinese immigrant during the days of the Gold Rush. He has crafted a moving story of a boy's loyalty to the family he must leave and the larger family he finds. Also recommended: Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles, by Kathryn Lasky, 8-14.

Goin' Someplace Special(by Patricia C. McKissack/illus. by Jerry Pinkney, Simon & Schuster $16 Score:) 'Tricia Ann's grandmother allows her to go downtown alone to her someplace special - place where everyone is welcome. But getting there is not easy in the Jim Crow South, when people of color could not sit where they pleased on the bus or park bench, in the movies, or a restaurant. What was the one special palace in Nashville where those rules were overruled? The public library.